Chapter 84
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“He doesn’t accept the fact that Fu Zhen is dead?” Fu Nian was still standing in place and wouldn’t move forward.
“He definitely doesn’t accept it. That’s why no matter what we say, he won’t believe… That’s why we called you here.”
Fu Nian hung his head, thought for a while, and then continued to walk toward the prison cell in front of him.
With Fu Zhen’s skills, how could he possibly have been burned to death alive in that stone chamber?
As he stepped into the prison cell, the violent clanking of chains and irons continued to ring out.
“I’ve already said…” The bound young man was still shouting when he noticed Fu Nian’s presence.
In an instant, the rage in his eyes softened considerably, and his weak voice called out, “Little Nian?”
The interrogating jailer, seeing Fu Nian, continued in a cold tone, “This gentleman is the survivor who was found together with your master’s body. At that time, your master held onto him tightly and refused to let go, even when he was burnt to a crisp. This is what we said earlier, that this gentleman can identify the body.”
“…” Fu Nineteen didn’t speak; he just stared at Fu Nian in disbelief.
Fu Nian didn’t move either but dared not look at Fu Nineteen.
“Little Nian, it’s not Master, right?” Fu Nineteen finally asked after a pause. “I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have stabbed you with that sword. It was my fault. Please verify quickly. It’s not Master, right?”
“Sir, please go forward and verify it.” The jailer next to Fu Nian quietly reminded him.
Fu Nian didn’t speak; he walked directly to the coffin.
Inside, the corpse was barely recognizable as a human being, charred all over. The longsword hanging from its waist was on the verge of falling off, its facial features were no longer discernible, and the bones in its face were thin and would crumble into ashes with the slightest touch.
The posture of the body was still protective, as if it had maintained this position instinctively even when engulfed in flames.
“Little Nian, it’s not Master, right?” Fu Nineteen urged again after a short pause.
Fu Nian carefully looked around, reached out to touch the relatively hard bones, and turned the body over gently.
Indeed, there was a deep knife wound in the chest.
He took out his Flashblade and made a comparison.
The wound matched the shape of the blade, and it was indeed the one he had stabbed.
“Yes, it is indeed Fu Zhen’s body. The knife wound in the chest is the one I inflicted,” Fu Nian confirmed after several checks and then reported back to the jailer by his side.
After he finished speaking, Fu Zhen, who had been violently rattling his chains just moments ago, suddenly went quiet. His eyes gradually dimmed, and he became lifeless, his limbs hanging limply.
Fu Nian then provided some more details to the jailer before turning to look at Fu Nineteen, who was covered in chains.
He opened his mouth but stopped himself several times.
Both of them were orphans who had been picked up by Fu Zhen when they had nowhere to go. Fu Zhen’s appearance was like a bright but gentle light suddenly appearing in their dark lives, which was very tempting. As they grew older, feelings of gratitude, the bond between master and disciple, loyalty, and other complex emotions all turned into love and dependence, seeming like a natural course of events.
“Is it a lie? How could Master…”
“Little Nian, did that old fox order you to kill Master?”
“It was my own decision. It has nothing to do with His Majesty,” Fu Nian replied. “In the previous life, thanks to him, I died from a strange poison, and I even implicated His Majesty. I had a narrow mind and harbored resentment… But thanks to senior brother’s help, I gained a few more years of life in the previous life.”
After saying that, Fu Nian fell into silence.
After a long silence, the jailer spoke, “Sir, how do you intend to deal with this corpse? His Majesty has given you the authority to dispose of it. Will it be used as food for the beasts in the Beast Garden, or will you cremate it and scatter the ashes? Or perhaps you’ll dispose of it in some remote and desolate place?”
Fu Nian had yet to answer when Fu Nineteen, wearing an astonished expression, seemed eager to answer.
Before he could speak, the jailer struck him with a blunt object, seemingly hitting a pressure point, rendering him speechless.
“Since they are dead, dispose of them as you see fit,” Fu Nian glanced at Fu Nineteen and added, “You can consider his suggestion. I don’t have any particular opinions.”
With that, Fu Nian didn’t linger in the eerie atmosphere of the cell. He summoned the interrogating jailer and left, inquiring about the specifics of the interrogation.
Fu Nian: “Only mention the part about his entrance into the palace and his encounter with His Majesty. I already know the earlier details.”
Jailer: “According to his testimony, after entering the palace incognito and meeting His Majesty, he stayed between Distant Moon Sect and the residence in the capital. His relationship with his master was initially strained but gradually improved. During this time, as he described it… their master-disciple relationship was not entirely proper. As for being confined in a coffin after Lord Fu’s death, he claimed he was deceived by Fu Zhen’s words. We told him that Fu Zhen killed innocent people to refine a poison, but he refused to believe it. There are many more details, which we will consolidate in a few days and send you a copy… In any case, this Fu Nineteen seems like a pitiable person who has been deceived for most of his life. How should I put it…”
“I understand,” Fu Nian sighed.
“The main issue we are currently investigating is whether he was the one who caused His Majesty to be afflicted with the strange poison. First, whether there is an antidote, and second, whether he still has control. If he truly holds His Majesty’s lifeline…”
As the midnight hour approached, Chu Zhaoyi was still in the study, reading reports.
Beside him, Ze Wang was also handling matters.
In the silence, a knocking sound suddenly echoed.
Immediately after, Li Gonggong entered, bowing slightly.
“Is it Ah Nian?”
“No, Your Majesty, it’s Physician Xu,” Li Gonggong replied.
Upon hearing this, Ze Wang picked up the pen he had just put down, returned to his seat, and continued focusing on the documents in his hands.
“Come in,” Chu Zhaoyi said, looking up as Physician Xu entered hurriedly, bowing and hesitating to speak.
“What’s the matter?”
“Your Majesty, as I mentioned some time ago, Lord Fu’s pulse was unusual, and I suspected it was due to encountering his master and another strange poison. Now… I have found the results.”
“Has he been poisoned again?” Chu Zhaoyi stood up quickly. “Thank goodness we didn’t let that Fu Nineteen leave… Are you certain of the type of poison? I’ll send people to intensify the interrogation—”
“Your Majesty, it’s not poisoning,” Physician Xu explained when he saw the solemn expression on Chu Zhaoyi’s face. “It’s quite a coincidence, but a few days ago, I visited a fellow member of my sect, who runs a medical clinic in the capital. This is the same person you’ve invited into the palace several times, but he declined.”
Chu Zhaoyi recalled that there was such a peculiar person in the capital.
He signaled for Physician Xu to continue.
“Lord Fu visited him twice before,” Physician Xu explained, and at this point, he awkwardly cleared his throat, casting a sidelong glance at Li Gonggong, Ze Wang, and finally, somewhat embarrassed, turned his gaze toward the Emperor.
Chu Zhaoyi had no idea.
“This old doctor wants to first Congratulate Your Majesty…”
Chu Zhaoyi was perplexed.”Congratulations for what?”
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